Next Generation Launch Vehicle

The Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) is a family of three-stage partially reusable medium to super heavy-lift launch vehicle, currently under development by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The family of these vehicles are designed to replace currently operational systems like the PSLV and GSLV. Previously referred to as Unified Launch Vehicle (ULV), the project is now being called as project Soorya.

This family of three launchers were previously being designed for replacing the different core propulsion modules of PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 respectively with a common semi-cryogenic engine and hence it was named as ULV. Unlike the latest proposal of the launcher, the initial proposals were planned to be expendable. But the new proposals under the name of NGLV suggests launchers having partial reusability.

S. Sivakumar is the program director for ISRO's Space Transportation System and the projector director for NGLV at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The development of the NGLV is projected to be 8 years from December 2024.

History

Development

The launch system has been in development since 2010s and has gone through various design changes over time. As ISRO's launch vehicles were ageing, the need for a new generation of launchers with interchangeable modular parts was realised. There have been several design changes since the first proposal.

Initial proposals

More than a decade after starting the Cryogenic Upper Stage Project in 1994, ISRO began developing a new semi-cryogenic engine that would be used on its next generation of vehicles of Unified Launch Vehicle (now NGLV), Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) and a heavy-lift launcher for future inter-planetary missions. On 22 December 2008, the government approved the development of semi-cryogenic engine technology at an estimated cost of , with a foreign exchange component of , for the completion of the project by 2014, the engine was then named SCE-200.

In May 2013, the configurations of the launchers were revealed for the first time. They had a common core and upper stage, with four different booster sizes. The core, known as the SC160 (Semi-Cryogenic stage with 160 tonnes of propellant, in the ISRO nomenclature), would have of Kerosene / LOX propellant and be powered by a single SCE-200 engine. The upper stage, known as the C30 (Cryogenic stage with 30 tonnes of propellant) would have of LH2 / LOX propellant and be powered by a single CE-20 engine.

The four booster options were:
* 6 × S-13, slightly larger than the S-12 on PSLV, to burn longer;
* 2 × S-60, which appears to be a new solid motor development;
* 2 × S-139, which is the first stage of PSLV and GSLV Mk I/II;
* 2 × S-200, like on the LVM3.

= Heavy-lift variant

=
A potential heavy-lift variant (HLV) of the ULV, in theory was capable of placing up to 10 ton class of spacecraft into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. It was planned to include:
* A larger dual S-250 solid strap-on boosters as compared to the S-200 boosters used in LVM3;
* A L-400 semi-cryogenic core stage, with 400 tonnes of propellant, using a cluster of five SCE-200 engines;
* A L-27 cryogenic third stage, with 27 tonnes of propellant, using CE-20 engine;

= Super-heavy-lift variant

=
A super-heavy-lift variant, was also among the proposals. With multiple SCE-200 engines and side boosters, this variant would have been the most powerful rocket that ISRO had ever developed.

Renaming and cabinet approval

S.Somanath, speaking to NDTV on 29 June 2024, unveiled a proposal to officially rename the NGLV as "Soorya". It will be used to help complete the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and send an Indian to the moon by 2040.

Under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet approved the development of the Next-Generation Launch Vehicle on September 18, 2024. This move bolsters India's ambition to establish and run the BAS and accomplish a crewed lunar landing by 2040. The NGLV has been approved for in total. It will be implemented over 96 months (8 years) and comprises financing for program administration, facility establishment, and three developmental flights (D1, D2 & D3). It is anticipated that the private space industry would be crucial to the manufacturing and development process, easing the transfer from development to operational status. The development of the NGLV is projected to take another 8 years from December 2024.

Design

NGLV will have a simple, robust architecture that enables bulk production and modularity in stages, subsystems, and systems for quick turnaround times. It's possible that the NGLV will be a three-stage rocket that runs on green fuel mixes, such as liquid oxygen and kerosene or methane and liquid oxygen for the SCE-200 engine, which runs on an oxidizer-rich closed combustion engine cycle. The first launch is slated for 2034–2035.

According to ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, the new rocket has a load capacity of between 20 and 1,215 tonnes. Industry players will handle the production and launches from the outset, with ISRO contributing to the development process.

ISRO is seeking to add vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) capability in NGLV first stage and booster stage. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is developing advanced navigation system, as well as steerable grid fins, deployable landing legs, and advanced avionics. In order to save costs, the conceptualization, development and testing of new technologies for NGLV will be done on a small-scale vehicle (possibly ADMIRE test vehicle). It will be possible to recover NGLV both on land and in the sea, according to S. Somanath. The recovery landing test will initially take place on land. Later on, a sea test of a similar nature will be conducted.

During the assembly process, the NGLV will be horizontally erected at the launch pad. Several changes are being accommodated in the design of the third launch pad at SDSC for the rocket.

Modifications and partial reusability

The development of the SCE-200 engine was completed in 2017 and the tests were contracted to a Ukrainian manufacturer Yuzhmash. In September 2021, in a virtual event being conducted by ISRO, the presentation mentioned a fleet configuration of a family of five rockets capable of lifting from 4.9 tonnes to 16 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The presentation mentioned the ongoing development of a new semi-cryogenic stage namely SC120 and an upgraded cryogenic stage namely C32. The configurations displayed more powerful engine stages; SC-400 semi-cryogenic stage, C27 cryogenic stage, and S-250 solid rocket boosters.

In June 2023, ISRO revealed that the team working on the NGLV programme had already submitted a preliminary report on the rocket's details, manufacturing process, and approach toward development. The rocket is planned to be partially reusable along with its boosters. The development was expected to take another five to ten years.

Following several months of preliminary planning and design and architectural refinement, ISRO has established a project team to begin construction of the NGLV. The third launch pad at Sriharikota will be required because the NGLV project, internally named "Soorya," will differ from the current class of rockets in configuration. This was confirmed by ISRO chairman S. Somanath in an exclusive interview with ''The Times of India''. The development of NGLV will involve teams with backgrounds in LVM3, GSLV, PSLV, and SSLV.

Propulsion technology

With the aim of sending humans to the moon by 2040, ISRO has begun working on future technology development initiatives. It is expected that thirty tons of payload will be transported using rockets. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on September 4, 2024, by the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) and the LPSC to jointly develop propulsion technology capable of lifting up to 30 tonnes and conveniently transporting bigger payloads to space and the moon. Eighteen to twenty-four months is the maximum time allotted for technology development.

The launch vehicle's engine will use methane and liquid oxygen for propulsion. For engine development, RRCAT will make use of Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM). According to Dr. V. Narayanan, the director of LPSC, Soorya will require a minimum of 25 rocket engines; therefore, the current annual capacity of producing 2-3 engines will be upgraded. The physical construction of the engine will take eight years. Initially, the engine will be utilized to send cargo into orbit. Once the engine passes human-rating certification, Indian astronauts would be able to travel to the moon.

ISRO is working on bringing capabilities for multiple restarts. It will aid in booster stage recovery as well as upper stage mission flexibility.ISRO is developing a spark torch igniter for the future LOX-Methane stages that will have higher ignition reliability and also cleaner combustion products.

List of launches

Planned launch

Potential uses and problems

As per a presentation done by S. Somanath at a conference in October 2022, the NGLV might offer launch costs of approximately $1900 per kg of payload in the reusable form and nearly $3000 per kg in the expendable format. The vehicle will also help in meeting India's need of setting up its space station by 2035. Other potential use cases will be in the areas of launching communication satellites, deep space missions, future human spaceflight, and cargo missions.

Somanath also stated that as of now, the demand for such a high end rockets were low as there were very few customers who are required in such high end rockets and rockets are already available in the global market which creates a heavy competition for ISRO with other space agencies and private organisations if such high end rockets were created.

For the 2040 crewed lunar landing mission, ISRO will rely on multiple launches and docking technology rather than building a big rocket.

See also

*LVM3
*RLV Technology Demonstration Programme
*Small Satellite Launch Vehicle
*Long March (rocket family)
*Proton (rocket family)

References

{{Indian space programme

Proposed reusable launch systems
Reusable spaceflight technology
Reusable spacecraft
Partially reusable space launch vehicles
ISRO space launch vehicles
Satish Dhawan Space Centre